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When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council.  They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” All of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?”  He said to them, “You say that I am.”  Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”  Luke 22: 66-71 By the time Jesus  got to the Sanhedrin, he had been deserted by his closest friends and betrayed by one of his disciples. Now he is standing before the Sanhedrin –the leaders of the people of God; priests of the Temple; God’s representatives on earth; defenders of the faith; shepherds of God's people. Of all, these should have recognised Him for who He was – the Son of God; if their eye

Often people think of Lent as a time to share in the suffering of Christ yet when they try to suffer for Christ, they become morose, centring more on their own sacrificial devotions than on God. Of course, Lent IS a time to get rid of the flub in our lives but only so we are able to connect more to the heart of our Beloved. I am thankful for ALL the suffering in my life because it has brought me closer to God. I once asked a priest what my life would have been like if I had not experienced suffering -if I had married a well-off dentist, had 1.25 kids and lived in an efficient, modern house. He put on a phoney, pious face, put his hands together in prayer, and said in a high, mocking voice, “Oh, you would be a nice Christian lady, praising the Lord.” What he meant by that amusing bit of acting was that I would be shallow, without depth and strength. If this is the situation, I say bring on real suffering, because I want—no I  need —to live in reality. continue

Do you consider yourself rich? Wealthy? Well off? Just managing? How much should you give to the poor? A lot? A little? As much as you can afford? How much is that? 10% of your earnings? Or, as Jesus says: "Sell everything and give it to the poor"? I would really appreciate your views on this difficult subject. PLEASE CLICK HERE

As the Morning Rising: Patrick, Man of Ireland, Man of God : Away from all people, Patrick made God his companion among hills of sheep and skyscapes dotted with stars. He bound himself to the wi...

RICH MAN POOR MAN HOW ABOUT YOU? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT - YOU'D BE SURPRISED!

Seeking forgiveness can be painful for a few reasons: Facing the reality of the hurt you caused another requires you to look the person in the eye when seeking forgiveness. When you do so, you see the pain caused by your actions/words. Seeking forgiveness requires humility. Many times our pride stands in the way of embracing humility. It is painful to humble ourselves and admit wrong-doing. When seeking forgiveness, we are beholden to another to graciously grant our request. We face the possibility of rejection, and that can be painful. Seeking Forgiveness from Others Over the course of my lifetime, I have found it much easier to forgive another, than to... Read more...

When I sent my manuscript of poems for children to a publisher, I was told they would like to use only the one “Good Words” and make it into a book. Because I wanted all 59 poems published, I said, “No, thank you,” and sent the poems on to ACTA Publications, which published them as “The Heartbeat of Faith.” That first publisher obviously knew the value of teaching children polite words. Speaking good words is important not just for children but for adults. Here are some thoughts about them. Click to continue

... The Gift of Receptivity ... ...Personally, my receptivity feelers do not fire on all cylinders. Sure, I’m open to whatever God has for me as long as it is good, healthy, and includes very little discomfort. Unlike Jesus entering into Jerusalem ready to fulfill God’s Will, I spend far too much time avoiding God and his Will. Perhaps I am hoping that if I am really quiet and well-behaved, I will avoid whatever cross is lurking in my day. Ironically, my cross has become my fear of the cross. My focus is far too much on this false fear of the possible tragedy lurking around the corner, and in turn I lose sight the good things God has in store for me—in any situation.... ... Holy Thursday Blessings ... Read more ....  All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2017 Reflection part of the WINE Lenten Book Club #LentenWalk

In this scenario, determine the prudent thing to do: Johnny, a high school student, was in the process of applying to colleges. He had his heart set on attending State University, as it had an excellent mathematics program. One problem though, the school requires an essay on how Johnny would make a positive impact on the university community, should he be accepted. Johnny wanted to major in math because he hated writing essays. Math is numbers, and Johnny was good at numbers; but not so good, when it came to writing essays. A Prudent Course of Action? Johnny’s friend, Matt, stopped by one afternoon after school, and Johnny let Matt know about the essay requirement. Johnny also knew that Matt was a good writer, as he was editor for the school’s newspaper. Johnny thought, maybe Matt could help me with the essay . Better yet, maybe ... Read more...

A journalist, who was intrigued by a mother of nine kids, interviewed me for an article on Mother’s Day. Even though my article merely shared a humorous peek into my hectic life, half of the ninety comments had to be deleted after publication. Many comments were angry, profane attacks. Obviously, a pro-life feminist stance strikes a raw nerve in society, a symptom of a decades-old battle between the pro-choice and pro-life camps. Ironically both sides fight for the equality and dignity of women.  In the face of this dilemma, I wrote an anthology with four other Catholic women about the pain and joy of reclaiming a sense of dignity as a mother in today’s society called  Love Rebel: Reclaiming Motherhood . continue

Some years ago, I shared a flat with a man called Caruthers. If ‘morals make the man, and manners make the gentleman’, then Caruthers was the finest gentleman I had ever met, or so I thought for the first few weeks. However, as the weeks went by, I began to see that his manners were no more than a thin coat of veneer that hid the chipboard man within. Casual visitors were as impressed with him as I had been to begin with. He was always ‘so terribly sorry’ for everything. He was ‘so terribly sorry’ for beating me to the bathroom, ‘so terribly sorry’ for keeping me waiting for half an hour, ‘so terribly sorry’ for failing to clean the bath. He was ‘so terribly sorry’ too for emptying the fridge when he had his friends round, for leaving the washing-up for me the following morning, and for leaving my car with an empty tank when he borrowed it without asking.  The trouble was, he wasn’t sorry at all and he kept on behaving in the same old way day in, day out. It is one thing to say you a

  (from The Cloistered Heart)

I say "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" a lot: mostly when I start praying. I generally make the sign of the Cross at the same time. The sign of the Cross is a very "Catholic" gesture. It "reminds us in a physical way of the Paschal Mystery we celebrate: the death and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ." 1 It's a prayer, a blessing, and a sacramental; and that's another topic. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1668 - 1670 ) Dali's " Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus) " is very "Catholic," too; although not it's not like the mass-produced 19th-century stuff many associate with our faith. I wouldn't be surprised if a half-millennium from now, some tight-collar Catholics will be upset by new art that doesn't present the Cross as an unfolded tesseract , and that's yet another topic . Topics . More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Things Passing : Things Passing Lent opens a door for us. It is just wide enough to get through and takes us to a different space and...

The 10 Minute Daily Retreat will focus on the Scriptural Stations of the Cross during Lent, posting on Sundays and Fridays, and each day during Holy Week.  Let us stay  awake together because we all know that "that our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak.” Matthew 26: 41 Jesus chose to  leave Peter and the two sons of Zebedee while He advanced into the garden to pray. He clearly felt the need to be alone with His Father in His final hour.  When He returned to find his disciples asleep, why did He challenge them?  Did He really need their support to manage His sorrow and distress? Read on:  https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au /

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We're not sure how skulls found in central China fit into the family tree. They're a bit like Neanderthals, a bit like folks still living in that part of the world, and not quite like anyone else. Other scientists found what may, or may not, be the oldest evidence of life found so far. That's in Quebec, Canada. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Transfiguration, Fra Angelico  Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India ) Gospel Matthew 4:1-11 ( NRSV ) Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up

Fr Charles Duster (15 September 1934 - 7 March 2017) Father Charlie was born on 15 September 1934 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA, where his parents Charles Henry Duster ['DOOster'] and Cleo Catherine Handley Duster owned and operated a supermarket. He has an older brother William C. Duster (Audrey) of Littleton, Colorado, a sister Mrs Robert Enns (Katie) of Fort Pierce, Florida, and eleven nieces and nephews and their families. His older sister, Margaret Jeanne Duster, died in 1972.

Today’s Gospel:  Luke 11: 29-32 Did you notice this Gospel reading opens when the crowds gathering around Jesus were actually increasing? Christ’s angry reaction to this growing number of followers is shocking at first glance. However, these people were really curiosity seekers, who were not humbly looking for the truth with open minds, but arrogantly seeking proof with closed hearts; all the while convinced Jesus was a phony. Jesus calls them evil because they demanded a sign to authenticate His claims. continue reading